Adopt Or Purchase Your Dog Or Puppy?

Just like all businesses, there are the good ones, and the bad ones, in the way they "manufacture" their product, market, sell... and in the way they treat their customers. There are good breeders and bad breeders.

Good breeders adhere to the standards of the breed because breeding is a science and an art. These responsible breeders invest a lot of their time and money in making the right choices of breeding their dogs to perfect the standards. A pure bred pup from a reputable breeder is costly, and worth it. They are accountable to their adopters and will ensure the health of the animal. Good breeders do it for the perfection of the breed.

Good breeders have a rigorous interviewing process. They take great care in making sure the adopter is educated about the breed and the needs of the breed.

* When trying to decide on a breeder, ask for and check references. Any breeder who is proud of their dogs will gladly provide references.

* Visit the breeder's residence. Obvious all breeders should have clean facilities and the dogs should be well taken care of, and are healthy.

* Ask for veterinarian information. A reputable breeder should have a regular vet.

* What guarantees does the breeder offer?

* What support does the breeder offer to adopters after the adoption?

The casual breeder will breed for the pure fun of it. They love their dog and the breed and enjoy having pups that are pet quality and adopt them to loving families. They aren't in it for the breed purity or for the money. They just love dogs!

Of course there are the bad breeders, who don't care about genetics or what traits to enhance or diminish in their breeding. And they care even less about their customers. Bad breeders do it for the money. They might sell their dogs to pet stores for resale. They may not care who adopts their pups as long as they have the money to purchase them.

These BYB, the "Back Yard Breeders", breed out of ignorance and greed. These owners have no registration papers, no licensing, and no oversight of the breeding. They might sell their dogs on popular market websites like Craigslist.

Puppy mills make sensational news stories. The horrid conditions at puppy mills are appalling. The dogs are bred over and over for profit. The animals are often cooped up and not given proper medical attention. The dogs live in filth and disease. Many of these animals are sold at pet stores. Rescuing these puppy mill dogs can be a challenge. If you purchase from a pet store, learn as much as you can about the store, their breeders and the pup's background.

Adopting a dog

What are the benefits of adopting a dog rather than buying one? One benefit of adopting a rescue animal is altruistic. Everyone, especially the dog, feels like they've done a good deed when adopting a rescued animal and for good reason! The animal very likely would have been euthanized. The sad, unsaid truth is, for every one rescued there are more and more being put to sleep. Adopters choose rescued animals over breeders and pet stores because they want to save animals' lives. By adopting one pup, another pup can be saved.

There are risks in adopting a pup from a rescue or shelter. Usually there is no information on the dog's background, history and breed. Usually the pups are mixed breeds rather than purebreds. Mixed breeds are less likely to have the genetic problems associated with certain breeds. The conditions the animals come from, often are far from the good breeder's environment.

When you adopt a rescue pup, not only do you save that pup, but you save more. You save another dog because you open up a spot at the shelter for another unwanted animal. You save another dog because the rescue can afford to transfer more dogs. It's like a pebble in a pond, one good deed ripples out affecting the rest.

Before adopting, ask the shelter or rescue for their adoption guidelines so you can be prepared for the interview process. Look at their website for the adoption application.

Common adoption questions include:

* Do you live in a home, or apartment?

* Fenced yard?

* Is some one home during the day? How long will the pup be alone?

* Do you have pets now? List those pets.

* Have you had a dog before?

* What happened to that dog?

* Are there children in your home? Ages?

* Are you willing to make the financial commitment, for emergency vet care, that exceeds $500? $1,000?

Answer all questions truthfully, and be sure you are comfortable with the responsibility. The decision to adopt a new puppy or dog is a significant one, but there are few opportunities that are more rewarding.

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